Using Online Groups

1
Using Online Groups

• Ann D. Murray
• School of Family Studies
• and Human Services

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Why I started using groups

• Necessity is the mother of invention

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What I noticed when I started using groups .

• Students were more actively engaged with the
  content of the course.
• Students interacted more actively with each
  other.
• Students took more responsibility for their own
  learning.
• The products students turned in were of higher
  quality.

4
I found out that I was doing problem-based
learning (Jones, 1996)

• Students deal with authentic, real world problems
  or cases.
• Student collaborate in small groups to arrive at
  viable solutions.
• There is little direct instruction -- the
  instructor becomes a facilitator of learning.
• Students experience challenges with
  ill-structured problems that mirror those they
  will encounter as professionals.

5
Key Features of Cooperative Learning (Marzano,
Pickering, Pollock, 2001)

• Positive interdependence (students need input
  from each other to complete the project or task,
  e.g. jigsaw tasks)
• Promotive interaction (students support each
  other and help each other learn)
• Individual and group accountability (both
  individual work and group work are evaluated)
• Interpersonal and small group skills (students
  learn to communicate and jointly make decisions)
• Group processing (students reflect on team
  functioning to improve group performance)

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Research on Cooperative Learning (Marzano,
Pickering, Pollock, 2001)

• Cooperative instructional strategies result in
  more learning by students than individual
  strategies
• Heterogenous groupings result in more learning
  than homogeneous groupings
• Small groups (2-4 students) are more effective
  than larger groups (5-7 students)

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Types of groups

• Formal, long-term groups (meet weekly, produce
  group and individual products)
• Informal discussion groups (one-time online
  activities such as debates, pro and con
  discussions, compare and contrast discussions,
  helping quattros, etc.)

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Tips for online groups (Ko Rossen, 2004)

• Assign students to heterogeneous groups
• Use online ice-breakers so that students get to
  know each other
• Use class time for group meetings
• Provide a structure and a framework for the group
  activities
• Give guidelines for group participation
• Assign roles to group members

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Tips for online groups (contd)

• Provide many avenues for communication (e.g. chat
  room, message board, email, file management area)
• Have a mix of group and individual activities
  with a substantial number, but less than the
  majority, of points based on group work
• Use small groups of 2-4 students
• Keep the composition of the groups the same
  throughout the semester

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Tips for online groups (contd again)

• Supervise the groups to monitor participation and
  intervene if necessary
• Have groups discuss and agree to a set of
  expectations for group participation at the
  outset
• Have groups evaluate their functioning on a
  regular basis and encourage them to address
  problems
• Have students evaluate the contributions of other
  group members

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References

• Jones, D. (1996). What Is PBL? Retrieved
  4/15/06, from http//edweb.sdsu.edu/clrit/learning
  resource/PBL/WhatisPBL.html
• Ko, S., Rossen, S. (2004). Teaching online
  A practical guide. New York Houghton Mifflin.
• Marzano, R., Pickering, D., Pollock, J. (2001)
  Classroom instruction that works Research-based
  strategies for increasing student achievement.
  Alexandria, VA Association for Supervision and
  Curriculum Development.
• Rhem, J. Problem-based learning An
  introduction. Retrieved 4/15/06, from
  http//www.ntlf.com/html/pi/9812/pbl_1.htm.